Month: October 2017
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Big Developers Raise Money for Disaster Relief

Both Bethesda and Microsoft, two of the world’s largest game developers released their plans to help support those impacted by the recent natural disasters occurring around the globe. These two gaming giants are leveraging their notoriety and the community that loves their games for a good cause, showing the world the positive impact gamers can have as they help provide for those in need of disaster relief.

Bethesda’s initiative is being called “The Good Within” and is currently raising money through CrowdRise to support the American Red Cross’s disaster and humanitarian relief efforts globally. The community goal for the event is $15,000, which Bethesda said they will match when the campaign is over. You can show support by heading over to the CrowdRise site and clicking donate, you’re then able to choose whether the donation goes directly to a specific cause or the American Red Cross.

The Gaming Community Is Awesome

Bethesda is even working with streamers and content creators who are playing the game this month.

Microsoft also revealed their initiative, which is being held with Halo 5. This charitable campaign involves fans of the game purchasing a new DLC pack where the proceeds will go to the charity, GlobalGiving. This organization is dedicated to getting non-profit groups the funding and support they need to get their work done.

To show support, Halo 5 players can purchase the Relief and Recovery Req Pack. The DLC includes five permanent Reqs, which will be Ultra or Better rarity. Also inside the pack are 10 Ultra or Better Boost Cards. The Req Packs will go live on October 23rd and can be purchased in the Halo 5 in-game store or directly on the Xbox Live Web Store.

Gamers Make The World A Better Place

The developer behind Halo 5, 343, made this charming announcement on their website.

“Like countless others, many of us here at 343 have been impacted in a variety of ways by the seemingly unending string of challenges reality has thrown humanity’s way recently,”. It continued, “From the Gulf Coast to Puerto Rico, from hurricanes to earthquakes to wildfires, there’s been no shortage of unbelievable hardship suffered by folks from all walks. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the Halo community though, it’s that when the hour seems darkest, help is always on the way. And to any community members directly affected by these recent disasters, know that we’re rooting for you every step of the way. You’ve got Spartans on the ground, and we’re not going anywhere…” (http://bit.ly/2hJTnRe)

When the gaming community comes together there is no limit to what we can achieve for not only the industry but the benefit of those around the world. It is reassuring to see that in trying times the company’s that make products we love are willing to do their part to help those in need. If you have the means, we urge you to donate and show that the community is one that strives to make the world a better place.

Middle Earth: Shadow of War – Playlist with Gigamax Games

Finally, the wait is over and gamers have a chance to play Middle Earth: Shadow of War. Any Lord of The Rings fan will be happy to dive into this action-packed Orc slaying experience. This time things are off to an intense start as the story begins with chaos and adventure. The Gigamax crew is here to take you through the key sections of this incredible game so be sure to keep up to date with all the action from the Middle Earth: Shadow of War playlist.

The Middle Earth series are known for their innovative mechanics and exciting gameplay. Its story is entertaining and the combat is magnificent. This is one of those games that a person can get lost playing for hours only to realize they haven’t even completed a quest. Combat is so much fun and the Nemesis system keeps players constantly on the move and it all adds up to one fun game to play.

This playlist starts off with the opening of Middle Earth: Shadow of War but be sure to stay tuned for more. With this game offering so much content, you can be sure that Gigs and Mack will be pouring hours into it.

Middle Earth: Shadow of War – YouTube Playlist

Even with all of this fun stuff, this game isn’t without controversy. Throughout this playlist Gigs and Mack will be discussing what they think about the loot box issues that have been making headlines all over the world.

As always, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by. Don’t forget to Like, Comment and Subscribe for more videos and articles every week!

If you have a game you’d like to see, be sure to reach out at GigamaxGames@gmail.com

Waypoint Gaming: A New Kind Of Gaming Community

There’s a new kind of gaming community in a special part of Long Island, New York that has the potential to take the world by storm. Waypoint Gaming, located at 1100 Stewart Avenue Garden City, New York, is an unassuming concept with the spectacular mission of bringing gamers together and offering them a place to test their skills with friends and competitors alike. Begining with an idea in the Fall of 2015, Cris, Co-Owner and Founder of Waypoint Gaming had a dream to build a community centered around competitive gaming.

The Story

Cris began putting together tournaments at his college and those small events began to pick up steam and continued to take off. Gamers from all around campus were ecstatic to finally have a place, other than a dorm room, to practice their skills and compete. Even other colleges in the area started getting involved and students from all around the area were showing up to take part in these small-scale tournaments.

With so much excitement surrounding these safe, responsible events one would expect the educational institution to be behind it 100%. However, this was not the case. Instead, it was the opposite. They came down hard on Cris and his friends. The school banned the events and put an end to the eSports community that was beginning to be cultivated. But this was not the end of Cris’ dream.

A Venue Like No Other

Fast forward two years and Waypoint Gaming is in the process of opening their doors to the public. Instead of giving up hope, Waypoint Gaming was born. Cris assembled a team of incredibly capable and hardworking individuals to bring the dream of creating a venue for local gamers where they can compete and test their skills to fruition. Waypoint Gaming wants to be a place that holds weekly tournaments, creating an eSports community for the Long Island area.

For a $10 fee, gamers can enter for a chance to win a cash prize or gift card. Even better, gamers have an option to pay $10 a month for free entry to all tournaments they host. Their incredible space has 27 PC’s, Monitors, PS4’s, Xbox One’s, WiiU’s, Wii’s, and eight 4k T.V.s. They even have a space dedicated to Virtual Reality gaming.

The Waypoint Gaming team has big plans for the future. Their ultimate goal is to open up a chain of locations all up and down the east coast. Local gamers are in constant search for an eSports community, to surround themselves with like-minded individuals that share a similar dream. This organization wants to create a space for these gamers and it all began with a dream in the Fall of 2015.

The Next Step

Waypoint Gaming is in the final stages of opening their doors. They expect to open to the world late December or early January depending on the towns permission. It’s amazing to see the similarity between the college in which Cris started this concept and with the town they’re struggling with to gain permission to open their doors. This eSports concept is not going away. It’s only going to grow and organizations like Waypoint Gaming are leading the way.

So Really, What’s Up With Final Fantasy: A New Empire

You’ve probably seen those strange ads for the mobile game Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire on Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. This strange ‘free’ app looks like any other free to play mobile game but with one major exception, it’s based on the most recent Final Fantasy game. Noctis, Prompto, Gladiolus, Iignis, they’re all there but it still feels like an intellectual property lawsuit waiting to happen rather than an actual Square Enix game. But yes, this game and all of its elements are legitimately licensed from SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS CO., LTD. according to their official website.

Seriously, What’s Up With This Game?

A fan reached out asking us to give our impression on this game and we’re here to deliver.

This is a game that would normally fly under the radar for Gigamax Games but there were a few things about it that did catch our eye. The marketing on those aforementioned social platforms stood out, maybe not for the best reasons but it did have our intention. The graphics (on the ads) and action looked impressive for a mobile game. However, as gamers know all too well this is a common marketing ploy. Video game developers have lied in the past when it comes to their marketing, No Mans Sky comes to mind. However, this seemed to be on an entirely different level.

FFXV: A New Empire promised exciting quests, action, and combat when in reality it is just another “age of empires” tower defense style mobile game. Yes, it does use the Final Fantasy universe but things are so much different.

Even with the Final Fantasy inspiration, this game is nearly identical to all the other tower defense, base builder, free to play mobile games on the market today. There are a lot of different things to do but there’s very little substance when it comes to the content.

“Questing” They Call It

The questing system is extremely shallow. The only thing a player has to do to complete a quest is click “start” and wait for the timer to tick down. Fighting other bases and monsters is dull as well. The tiny sprite that represents a character slowly walks through the overworld, swings its sword and walks back to the base. There was only time Noctis is ever actually seen fighting and that was in the ‘Proving Grounds’. Noctus runs toward an enemy and each slash of his sword uses 50 Ether. Ether is not easily found and it costs an incredible amount of ‘Loyalty’ to purchase more.

With the lack of exciting content, there is one thing that this game does very well, entice the player to purchase the in-game materials and currency. There are so many things to do, even if they’re shallow, there’s a lot of different bases to upgrade, bosses to fight, in-game items to purchase but free players are extremely limited. To continuously play, the only real option is to pay.

Time Goes On But The Game Stands Still

After a while playing, there was the inevitable point where you are stuck waiting for resources to generate and a building to finish completing. The only saving grace would be free to play mini-games that gamers could play while waiting around. However, there were actually multiple mini-games to choose from. This could have been the ultimate “Is this actually a great mobile game I would have missed out on?”

Clicking on the first one brings the player to a classic tower defense game. You build turrets that defend a wave-like onslaught of enmities, protecting the walls of your empire. This was exciting, having the chance to play fun games while resources accumulate or buildings to upgrade could have been great! However, players only have one attempt and then they are locked out with a 24:00 timer. Gamers only get 1 chance to play a single mini-game per day. There are 4 mini-games to try and a 24-hour timer shared between them. This means it will literally take four days to try each of the mini-games and you only have one attempt.

Final Thoughts

At the beginning they give you an incredible amount of resources and leveling up the citadel is a breeze. This honeymoon stage ends abruptly and they make it abundantly clear that in-game purchases are easy to complete and readily available. It’s unfortunate that the Final Fantasy brand is associated with this kind of game. The beautiful thing about Final Fantasy is the abundance of content a game purchase offers. Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire is the opposite. The shallow and lackluster content teases people along to get hooked and then once they level their buildings to about level 8, resource requirements for an upgrade increase exponentially. The only way to continuously play this game is to buy the in-game currency, however, if you’re a very patient person and don’t mind putting the game down for long periods of time, it’s a great distraction for a short period of time.

Assassin’s Creed Origins: DLC Plan Announced

It is no secret that Ubisoft loves their DLC. So fans of the series were not surprised to see the company announce a host of Assassin’s Creed Origins post-launch content. The game will have a lengthy life cycle, with two major expansions and a number of smaller updates prepared to be released after the game launches later this month.

The two major DLC packs are named The Hidden Ones and The Curse of the Pharaohs. The first will launch in January of 2018 and will feature a war against the Romans many years after the events of the base game. The second involves the protagonist traveling to a mystical realm where they will find mythical creatures and ancient gods. Players will hunt for the cause of a curse that has brought dead pharaohs back to life, this DLC will launch in March 2018.

The Season Pass Has A lot To Offer

Both of these story expansions are part of the Assassin’s Creed Origins season pass, which currently runs fans $40. This also grants access to two smaller add-ons that contains new clothes and weapons. The season pass also gives the player 500 in-game credits on top of an exclusive weapon.

Assassin’s Creed Origins is also receiving a Gold Edition and a Steelbook Edition that contain the season pass for the increased cost of the copy. However, not all six of the special editions contain the extra content so be sure to read the descriptions carefully before buying. Aside from the season pass, players will receive a bunch of new updates that include a photo and educational mode, along with a horde mode where players will fight in a gladiator-like arena.

The ambitious and long-awaited open-world title releases on October 27th for the PC, Xbox One, and PS4. Ubisoft obviously has high hopes for the title and it will be cool to see all the new content in action when it releases. We will be sure to have both the game and DLC’s so be sure to check back for more on Assassin’s Creed Origins!

Could ARMS be Getting a New Character?

Nintendo’s new take on the fighting game genre may see another new character added to the roster soon. In the latest update trailer posted by the video game publisher (see below), fans can catch a glimpse of what appears to be a robot version of the game’s hero, Spring Man.

New Badge System

Also coming with the update is a new “badge” system that will award players for completing specific challenges. For example, one will be awarded for completing a tough run through the campaign or playing a certain amount of fights with one character. Nintendo was not clear about a release date but the trailer made it clear it will be coming later this month. This article will be updated when the launch date is announced, so don’t forget to check back!

Nintendo certainly hasn’t been shy when it comes to releasing free updates for their popular new brawler. The last update saw a new clown type character, Lola Pop, enter the ring along with Max Brawler in the update before her. New stages have also been added throughout the game’s lifecycle, including Sparring Ring and Villa Dolce and shows that the company has no plans to slow down support for the game. Training exercises were also added so that fans could practice their skills and moves for online play, so if you put down ARMS, now is a great time to throw the gloves back on.

This announcement comes in the wake of Nintendo’s plan to increase production of the Switch to 2 million units per month to meet the console’s high demand. The Switch is one of the most unique console’s we’ve ever played here at Gigamax so if you’re able to get your hands on one, don’t miss out! We’ll be keeping our eyes on all the latest information so be sure to keep checking back for all the latest in gaming news.

Cuphead – Indie Spotlight on YouTube

The independent developers, Studio MDHR have brought the world, Cuphead. This indie game offers a host of unique features that made it truly stand out. Hand-drawn, it looks like something straight out of the 1930’s and this is not the only aspect of the game that caught people’s attention. Cuphead is one of the most challenging platformers the Gigamax crew has had the chance to play.

Warning: Hard More

Even though it’s incredibly difficult, the unique art style and exciting gameplay makes it easy to keep on playing. In the beginning, it opens with the player walking through a tutorial to get them comfortable with the controls. After this brief introduction to the game, it sends the gamers off on an adventure. Cuphead is tasked with fending off the sentient vegetables and other whacky creatures around the world. Navigating the overworld allows the player to freely choose missions and bonus levels. Shops and other locations are scattered around this overworld and it adds another level of adventure to Cupheads’ quest.

Overall, the game delivers an incredible experience through and through. From the amazing art and graphics to the challenging platforming along with the difficult 2D shooting mechanics, Cuphead earns its spot as one of the best Indie Spotlights this year.

Cuphead: Indie Spotlight on YouTube

Thank you so much for taking the time to watch! More Cuphead episodes will be coming soon. This game is unlike anything else out right now and it absolutely deserves a playthrough. Because of how challenging this indie game actually is, it will take some time to make it to the end. Come offer some support with a Like or Comment!

Pokemon Ultra Sun/Moon Trailer Reveals Interdimensional Travel

A new trailer for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon revealed plenty of new details about the pair of 3DS games. The video offers a deeper look at some of the new features Gamefreak added to the upcoming titles as well as a look at a brand new legendary.

The previously revealed UB-Burst and UB-Assembly are getting a new friend in Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon that goes by the codename, UB-Adhesive. This little guy is a mysterious (and adorable) new Poison-type, said to understand humans if it spends enough time around them.

UB-Burst and UB-Assembly Info

The trailer released today revealed some new details about UB-Burst and UB-Assembly. UB-Burst has been revealed as a Fire/Ghost-type that is exclusive to Ultra Sun. It comes packaged with a unique attack called Mind Blown. This move has the horrifying monster remove his head and lob it at the defending Pokemon. UB-Assembly is more of a defensive beast that is a Rock/Steel type and exclusive to Ultra Moon. It was also revealed that the new Ultra Beasts have the same Beast Boost ability held by the previous iterations.

Ultra Beasts come from another dimension and travel to the Alola region through portals known as Ultra Wormholes. In the two new titles, players will be able to traverse atop Solgaleo or Lunala through these rifts and visit the worlds the Ultra Beasts hail from. The trailer also revealed a dark new world known as Ultra Metalopolis, which Nintendo describes as a city that lost its light to the legendary Necrozma.

The Final Details

The final details revealed by the trailer were on a new mysterious team known as, Ultra Recon Squad, a cast of characters is made up of four trainers. In Ultra Sun, players will encounter Dulse and Zossie while in Ultra Moon, backers will run into Phyco and Soliera. Not much else was revealed on the Ultra Recon Squad but in the trailer, they show up with UB-Adhesive.

The two new games will be released on November 17th. If you buy the game before January 18th, 2018 you also get your hands on a Rockruff that can evolve into the previously revealed Dusk Form Lycanroc.

Fortnite: New Twist or Blatant Ripoff?

Video games are constantly evolving. A lot of the time, developers take successful ideas from other games and change it up a bit to make an entirely new title. However, sometimes, a game can be a little too similar to the original title which they took their ideas from. This has been the discussion surrounding Fortnite Battle Royale and PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds.

Let’s take a look at the similarities between the two games and how they differ. It’s an interesting list and one that might lead to more questions than answers.

Similarities:

1) 100 person deathmatch and the last one standing is the winner.

2) Squad mode, where players can team up to compete against other squads and the last group standing, wins.

3) Both of the games begin in ‘lobby island’ where all 100 players can run around, shoot guns, and scream loud into the mic.

4) Once the game officially starts, players are flown toward an island and can choose when to jump out of the aircraft.

5) After players jump out of the aircraft, they skydive down to their desired location and eventually float down and land gently.

6) Both only have one map as of now and bear striking similarities.

7) Players start unarmed and must scavenge around the map looking for weapons, ammo, and protective items.

8) The map begins to shrink because of an outside force which continues to close in on the players as the game goes on, forcing them into each other.

Differences:

1) Cartoony graphics give Fortnite a different feel from the more gritty, realistic PUBG.

2) Fortnite has no prone, changing the stealth aspect when compared to PUBG.

3) Players jump out of a floating bus instead of a plane as in PUBG.

4) Gamers cannot find armor around the map in Fortnite, instead, they pick up ‘Shield Potions’.

5) Fortnite offers no attachments for the guns like in PUBG, what you see is what you get.

6) PUBG has first person servers and an option to aim down the iron sites. Fortnite is stuck in 3rd person.

7) The feature that separates Fortnite the most from PUBG is the building aspect. Players can collect materials from around the map and build forts and cover. This is the key feature that has the most dramatic effect when it comes to the differences of Fortnite from PUBG.

Final Thoughts and Your Input

Just from looking at the lists above, it’s clear that there are more similarities than differences. Most of the differences are even just splitting hairs, like not being able to go prone. However, these unique aspects from Fortnite do add some interesting dynamics which PUBG cannot provide. Still, PUBG seems as though it’s the superior shooter but this is not to say Fortnite doesn’t deliver a quality gaming experience.

The question remains, is Fortnite walking a very fine line between blatant ripoff and unique interpretation? Or did the Fortnite developers, Epic Games, simply steal an innovative idea and implement their mechanics on top of PUBG?

With PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds developer, Bluehole, releasing a statement on September 22nd explaining that they felt Fortnite copied their game and might pursue legal action, the world may soon find out.

What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, we want to see how gamers feel about this complicated situation.

Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia Coming Next Year

Legend of Zelda fans that want to learn more about the universe they adore or just want to look at pretty pictures of Hyrule will be happy to hear an enormous and comprehensive book is being released next year. The comic publisher behind the book, Dark Horse announced that they will be releasing the English version of the book in April of 2018.

What’s Inside This Big Book?

The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia is a voluminous book that goes into detail about various aspects of Hyrule’s lore. The 320 page book takes a detailed look at the series and will cover up to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, “[It] describes enemies and items, potions and poes, an expansion of the lore touched upon in the 2013 smash-hit Hyrule Historia, concept art, screencaps, maps, main characters and how they relate, languages, and much, much more.” Readers can also enjoy an exclusive interview contained in the book with the series’ producer Eiji Aonuma.

This title is the third book in the Goddess Collection Trilogy of Zelda themed books. Hyrule Historia which was released back in 2013, is considered the first installment and contained concept art, developer insight, and timeline placement for every game in the series at the time. The second book in the series was The Legend of Zelda Arts and Artifacts, which came out earlier this year and covered promotional and concept art from the series’ history.

Save Your Copy!

Nintendo also announced another art book that will solely focus on the series’ most recent installment, Breath of the Wild. A release date has yet to be announced by the popular Video Game company but a few sample images can be found on their twitter account. The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia releases on Aril 24th, 2018 and is being sold for $40 with pre-orders being available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.